You Know Your Story.
You Just Can’t See It Clearly.
One hour changes the view.
One-on-one session, focused entirely on your story.
One-on-one session, focused entirely on your story
$247
You’ve been living inside this story for a long time. You know it deeply — the characters, the layers, the scenes you love. But somewhere along the way you’ve lost the ability to see it the way a reader would.
The story is in you. You know that. But somewhere between what you imagine and what’s on the page, you’ve lost the thread. You can’t see the shape of it clearly enough to know what it needs next.
You know something isn’t working. Maybe it’s your opening, your structure, or a through line that keeps slipping out of reach. You just can’t figure out how to identify or fix it on your own.
That’s what this session is for. In 60 minutes, we find the shape of your story together. So you leave knowing exactly where you are and where you’re going.
In a Story Intensive Session, I review your materials ahead of time so our session can focus on understanding what your story needs most right now. For you, that might mean the opening of your manuscript and your story overview ahead of time. It might mean your outline. Once I receive your materials, we meet for a one-hour conversation focused on establishing a clear through-line for your story, structural components to put in place, and identifying your next steps.
Before your session, you’ll send me:
- A brief description of your story and what you intend it to be (up to two pages)
- The pages or outline you want to focus on — first chapter, a key scene, or your working outline
I’ll review these ahead of our session.
You’ll walk away with:
- Clarity on what your story needs next
- A recorded replay to revisit anytime
- A custom revision plan delivered after your session, based on what we uncover together
What Writers Walk Away With
A memoir writer who’d been working on her book for 20 years finally understood the structure of her opening act, and left knowing exactly where her story begins.
A fiction writer discovered whose story she was actually telling, and how to make the time travel serve the emotional arc she’d been circling for months.
A literary fiction writer untangled the sequencing of her backstory and found where the real emotional core of her novel lives.
Meet Nanci
For more than a decade, I’ve worked with fiction and memoir writers to help them understand what their stories are really doing on the page.
Through manuscript evaluations, coaching, and my teaching inside the Emerging Writers Academy, I’ve helped hundreds of writers move from confusion about their drafts to a clearer understanding of what their stories need.
My approach focuses on the deeper elements that shape a compelling narrative: character desire, story structure, emotional stakes, and point of view. When these elements come into focus, the path forward in revision often becomes much clearer.
I’m also the host of the Writer Unleashed podcast, where I explore the craft of storytelling and the challenges writers face while bringing a book to life.
The goal of the Story Intensive Session is the same goal I bring to all of my work with writers: helping you see your story more clearly so you can move forward.
Story Intensive
Gain clarity on exactly where your story is and where it needs to go.
1
Full Review of Your Materials
Whether it’s your outline, story idea, or first chapter, I’ll review what I see set in motion, make notes, and then we’ll put everything up on screenshare and talk it through together.
2
Private One-Hour Zoom Session
This is recorded so you can refer back to our conversation. No need to take notes. This is yours to keep.
3
A Customized Revision Plan
Based on our discussion, you’ll get a revision framework tailored to your story. So you know exactly what to do and in what order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I wait until I have my first draft done to do a story intensive session with you?
Don’t wait! If you have a work in progress, but are getting overwhelmed and stalled, you’re in the perfect place. Come with your ideas, your story fragments – whatever you have – and we’ll work on getting your story focused together. This will help you avoid wandering around in the wrong direction, and will save you major revision later on.
Can you explain further how the story intensive works?
You send me a brief one or two page description of your story or story idea, along with whatever other supporting materials you have – your first chapter, your outline, or maybe just some scenes you’ve been working on.
Describing your story is sometimes a great way to clarify the direction of your story, so don’t skip this!
Once I’ve had time to review your materials, you’ll get a link to my Calendar where you can book your one-hour private session. We’ll get together on Zoom, I’ll put your materials up on screen share, along with my margin notes, and we’ll talk it through. We’ll explore what you’re trying to achieve, why this story matters to you, and what feels most important for a reader to walk away with.
Often, just talking your story through is enough for you to gain more clarity about your story.
All our calls are recorded and delivered to you within a week, along with a custom revision framework so you have a roadmap for revision.
How does the scheduling work?
Once you purchase your session, you’ll get an email from me asking you to send me your materials. Once I receive them, I’ll send you a link to my calendar. You’ll schedule your private one-hour session.
I've never worked with a book coach. Can we talk first?
Absolutely. Let’s hop on a 30-minute clarity call to talk about the story you’re longing to create. This is complimentary, and there’s no obligation to take it any further after our call. But you’ll still walk away with more direction on what to do next. Book your call with me by clicking here.
I'm working on my memoir. Do you work only with fiction writers?
I work with novelists, memoir writers, and short fiction writers. I’ve coached writers of fantasy, historical fiction, young adult, science fiction, cross-genre, memoir and literary fiction. I’m here to support you to write the story you want to write – through your vision and all that you are.
If I have questions after our session, can I reach out to you?
Absolutely. I’m here to support you. I understand that questions will come up as you move through your story, so don’t hesitate to reach out to me.